Molkenmarkt

The ground beneath your feet holds more history than most cities can claim above ground. This is Molkenmarkt, Berlin's oldest square, and it was already a buzzing trading hub before the city was even officially mentioned in the historical record back in 1244. The name comes from "Molke," the German word for whey, that thin liquid left over from making cheese. Merchants travelled here from surrounding villages to trade goods, share news, and sell food along routes that crossed at this very spot.

Recent excavations turned up over 600,000 objects: pottery fragments, worn leather shoes, and a gold ring dating to around 1400. Archaeologists also found wooden planks buried more than 2 metres underground, oak, birch, and pine, laid out as what may be Berlin's earliest street, preserved almost perfectly.

Among the finds were 188 small ceramic figurines, each holding a tiny fragment of bone from a Christian saint. These were not toys but protective keepsakes, deeply meaningful to medieval people. A Madonna with Child and a figure of Saint Catherine were among the finest discovered.

The square you see today is framed by the Altes Stadthaus, built between 1902 and 1911. Scan the roofline and count 29 stone sculptures, including Berlin's beloved bear. Eight hundred years of city life, and the bears are still watching over it all.